History of Stockings
Stockings which are also known as hosiery, or hose, and popularly as “Nylons”, are coverings for legs and feet.
Early references to hosiery go back to the ancient Greeks. Workmen and slaves wore hosiery in ancient times, and Roman woman wore a short sock (called a soccus) in their homes. Silk or cotton socks were also worn in Japan and China for centuries.
Socks evolved into stockings in 12th century Europe. Breeches worn by men became close fitting, reaching from the waist to the foot like modern tights. Women wore stockings held up at the knee by garters.
After 1545 knitted stockings came into fashion, their seams were often ornamented by elaborate silk patterns, or “clocks”. This term is still in use today as “fancy feet” the decorative seam treatments that were popular during the late 40’s and early 50’s.
William Lee, an English clergyman, made the first knitting machine in 1589. Silk and cotton were the popular fibers of the era. Silk of course was the choice of royalty as the discovery of the New World opened up trade in this rare and luxurious fiber.
There were many different ways to wear stockings. Silk stockings were sometimes worn several pairs at a time in cold weather. In the 17th century when large boots were in fashion, linen “boot hose” were worn to protect the silk stockings underneath. They had wide lace tops, which were turned over the boots. Men continued to wear silk stockings with garters until the end of the 18th century, but long trousers begin to appear and socks have been worn underneath ever since.
In the 19th century machine-made cotton stockings became available for women. After World War I (1914-1918) short skirts were fashionable and long silk stockings were worn again, once again, proving that fashion and skirt length determine hosiery fashion!
With the discovery and ultimate use of Dupont Nylon in the late 30’s and early 40’s, the primacy of silk in women’s hosiery waned. Silk was ultimately replaced by nylon after the war. But it was not without challenges from other man made fibers such as Rayon, Bamberg, and Vilene.
Elegant, sheer and comfortable tights (or pantyhose as they are known in the US) are now taken for granted, however it was only in the 1960’s that “nylons” became widely available.
The stockings market was revolutionised by the change of fashions in the 20th Century when it became socially acceptable for women to show their legs, and with the invention of nylon in the 1930’s an affordable alternative to silk stockings became available.
In 1935 Julian Hill, working with a team led by Wallace Carothers, discovered that by pulling a heated rod from a mixture of coal tar, water and alcohol a strong, sheer filament formed that was silk-like in appearance.
Two years later the process was patented by DuPont, and in 1939 the new synthetic fibre - Nylon – was shown at the World Trade Fair in New York; The NY from New York, providing the first two letters of the name nylon.
The first nylon stockings appeared in New York stores on May 15, 1940 and over 780,000 pairs were sold in the first day alone.
In the first year, 64 million pairs were sold in the US, and nylons soon became the generic name for all hosiery products containing nylon.
However once the USA joined World War II all production of nylon went into the war effort and nylon stockings became very hard to obtain – during this time women painted seams on the back of their legs instead so it appeared as if they were wearing stockings.
In the 1960’s when skirts were worn very short, many women began to wear tights (pantyhose) instead of stockings. To show, “a bit of stocking”, was no longer accepted and while stockings fought for market share by becoming extremely long, they became nearly extinct as pantyhose gained in popularity.
We are fortunate in the year 2000 to have the benefit of many “stocking enthusiasts”, who have kept this garment alive for many admirers. We at “Stockingirl” intend to carry this tradition forward!
Definition of Hosiery Terms
Denier
This is an measurement for knitting yarn which equals 5 centigrams per meter of yarn. The weight of the denier is obtained by weighing 450 meters of thread of nylon, silk or rayon. If 450 meters weighs 5 grams, the thread is called a 100 denier thread. The base of 450 meters being the standard measure, the weight of the thread will determine its caliber. The lighter the thread (the less number of deniers) the finer the weave. A 15 denier yarn is twice as fine as 30 denier yarn. The most popular denier for day/evening is still 15d, 30 denier has been popularized as “business sheer”, 70d as “service sheer”. “ultra sheer” or “evening dress sheer” stockings can be 15d, 12d or 10d. The sheerest practical denier is 8d, which is so wispy sheer that it literally disappears on the leg! (and is so fragile that it can barely survive one wearing)
The Process
Full-fashioned stockings are knitted flat, then fashioned, or shaped by mechanical manipulation by programmed chains that articulated cams to drop needles from the knitting process creating the famous “fashioning marks” on the backs of the stocking. (The little V’s on the back near the seams are created when a stitch is cast off, just like in hand knitting a sweater) The stockings are then joined at the back on a looping machine by hand, creating the seam up the back. The actual knitting is done on a flat knitting machine first developed in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England by William Cotton in 1864.
The stocking is started at the top with the welt, with an extra-thick section for gartering. Reducing the number of needles at the ankle, then adding needles at the heel, and again reducing the number through the foot shape to the fabric.
The modern fully-fashioned machine was made from 1940-1960 by Reading Machinery Company in Reading, Pennsylvania, who stopped production of the machines in the early 1960’s. In the years ‘59 and early 60’s you could purchase one of the later models, which they called the R100, but, you had to order four of them. The cost was a little over $750,000 each for this special order.
The length of the machine is about 45 feet long, and it could make 30 stockings concurrently. The company started out in its early days making a single section which made one stocking. Soon after machines added length, to make 15 (half section machines) stockings, and then went to full section machines (thirty stockings).
Tragically, there are fewer than ten working machines in the world today! We know of many inactive machines, however, the skilled technicians required to program the timing chains and maintain the machines have long gone.
Circular Knit Stockings
Modern stockings and pantyhose are knit on circular machines eliminating need for the back seam. Circular knit stockings originally were made with reinforced heel and toes, this was accomplished by using a “reticulating heel” machine, also made by Reading. This machine actually knit the heel pocket into the stockings using a devise that knit the foot first, then the heel pocket and finally the leg and welt. This created the “V” in the heel that we all know and love.
During the early years of circular knit stockings, the heels and toes were reinforced similarly to the original full fashioned stockings, this gave the consumer the assurance that sharp nails or rough shoes would not cause the stockings to run. Later stockings were knit with different types of reinforcements on the toes and heels, eventually all reinforcements we discontinued!
Stockings reinforcements evolved from standard circular toes to tear drop toes, a toe that was seamed under the foot and looked like a teardrop, Demi-toes, a very dressy look with a 1/2 toe reinforcement, and finally to sandal foot with a nude toe for sandals. Heels also evolved from fully reinforced heels to the scalloped heel, and eventually, to evolve finally to the nude heel, and again to the fully nude, sandal foot stocking.
Textures: Patterned stockings. Diamonds, herringbones, and waves were the most popular. These styles were very popular during the 60’s. Hosiery companies began to buy modern knitting machines which had infinite knitting possibilities that allowed enormous variations.
Modern Stockings
As modern knitting techniques improved and the machinery became more expensive and complicated, stockings evolved through several phases.
Modern machines knit tubes that are boarded, or “heat set” to the shape of the leg; the heel pocket was no longer knit-in as in the 50’s. To improve fit, the yarn companies came up with several “improvements” that would forever change the future of classic hosiery.
The first was the stretch stocking, actually a crimped yarn that was knit and packaged unboarded in a limited size range that conformed to the leg when worn. Popular brands were, Cling-Along, Agilon, and Cantrece. The ultimate fit solution that effects the stockings made today, is to add Lycra, another Dupont invention that creates an elasticized stretch stocking that clings to the leg to the knitting yarn. This is used in almost all modern stockings and pantyhose. The effect is to create a support stocking effect. The unfortunate sacrifice is the original sheer stocking effect that is so dear to the true stocking connoisseur.